Department of Justice's Million Dollar "Gun Safety" Public Service Announcements

So this is how the Obama Administration spends $1 million of taxpayers money trying to reach gun owners with a message about safe storage of firearms.

That was the most offensive of the two television public service announcement developed by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and the Ad Council and funded by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.  You see, firearms are scary. They scare kids, and, they cause nightmares, and are something for which we have to apologize.  Apparently, they didn't think about the millions of kids that participate in the shooting sports.

If they had simply stayed with the below, ad, it might not have been so bad, other than the fact NCPC/Ad Council must think that gun owners need children to tell them how to "follow rules."

But the print ads are even worse:

The above print and video ads are all part of a campaign where the Obama Administration found $1 million laying around (at a time when the "sequester" was causing cuts in defense) to spend on this.  You'd think from the ads, that there is an epidemic of accidental deaths from firearms in the home.  But just the opposite is true.

So, you tell me, which do you think will be a more effective firearm safety campaign targeting gun owners, something like this:

or the Justice Department/BJA/NCPC campaign?

By the way, the Julie Golob firearm safety campaign rolled out for Mother's Day didn't cost $1 million.

Justice Department to Emily Miller: We're Not Stopping Operation Choke Point

Emily Miller, formerly Washington Times editorial writer and now Investigative Reporter with DC's Fox News 5, appeared on the station's Good Day DC on Monday to talk about the Justice Department's Operation Choke Point.  Choke Point is an initiative that USDOJ claims is set up to protect consumers from shady businesses that are breaking the law, but it increasingly is associated with shutting down legal businesses like firearm retailers and ammunition retailers (note - FDIC revised their guidance that to banks on July 28, 2014.  However, it is believed all they did was remove the list from their web site but did not change their policy related to the original list).  It should be noted that while they removed the list.  That's right, the official Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) list includes firearm and ammunition sales.  Last week, Congress included language in the Commerce, Science and Justice Appropropriations bill that directs the Department to not spend any of the appropriation on Operation Choke Point.  That would only impact the DOJ's spending after October 1, meaning they could continue to target our 2nd Amendment Rights until then.  But, Emily Miller said when she contacted the DOJ spokeswoman, that individual said they are only targeting illegal businesses and they don't intend to stop the intitiative.

Miller talked more in depth about the initiative and its impact on Second Amendment Rights with NRA News on Tuesday.

Pro-rights Funding Riders Pass with Budget

Tucked safely into legislation that even the most ardent gun banners considered must pass were several riders that controls how the federal government is allowed to regulate firearms.  This from NPR:

One rider prevents the Department of Justice from requiring gun dealers to conduct an inventory to see if guns are lost or stolen. Another requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to make it clear that any data from criminal traces on guns can't be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime. A couple deal with curios and relics —collectible guns.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers notes none of these are new. But by tucking the policy riders into funding legislation, the antis have to decide if fighting them is worth shutting down the government.  

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, said there was not much they could do this time but promised to fight harder next time.

He shouldn't expect the outcome to be much different.

House Sues Holder

The Washington Times reports that the House leadership is going to court to get Holder and the Obama Administration to comply with a subpoena for documents related to the debacle known as Fast and Furious.

House Speaker John A. Boehner said President Obama and his team were ignoring a congressional subpoena — something the courts have long recognized as valid — and said lawmakers were left with no choice but to ask the third branch to referee.

“By stonewalling Congress and ignoring a contempt order, the Justice Department has left the House no choice but to take legal action so we can get to the bottom of the Fast and Furious operation that cost border agent Brian Terry his life,” Mr. Boehner said.

It was always a big question as to whether Boehner had the stones to carry this through in an election year.  Apparently, he does.